Governor's Race: The Talent Magnet

January 15, 2010

Two capable Republican state lawmakers — state Senate Minority Leader John McKinney and House Minority Leader Larry Cafero — took a look at this year's race for governor and decided instead to run for re-election to their legislative seats. Secretary of the State Susan Bysiewicz, a Democrat, withdrew this week from a contest the polls said she was winning — for her party's nomination for governor — and is running for attorney general.

Still and all, the pool of candidates who have announced they are running for governor, or thinking of it, is nothing to sniff at.

The small Republican field grew by one this week when Larry DeNardis of Hamden filed papers Tuesday for an exploratory committee. The politician-educator possesses an admirable resume.

He was a state senator, a congressman who managed to win a term in a Democratic district — in a match against Joe Lieberman, of all people — and was assistant secretary of Health and Human Services in the Reagan administration. He then served for 13 years as president of the University of New Haven and currently teaches national security policy. Mr. DeNardis has been out of the public eye for some time, but is as qualified as they come.

So is Mary Glassman of Simsbury, who earlier this month formed an exploratory committee to run for governor as a Democrat. Ms. Glassman, a lawyer, is well-grounded in the state-municipal relationship, having been elected six times as first selectman in Simsbury and having worked for eight years in state government, part of the time as chief of staff in Lt. Gov. Kevin Sullivan's office.

Ms. Glassman surprised Democratic Party pros in 2006 by beating popular West Hartford Mayor Scott Slifka by a wide margin to become the party's nominee for lieutenant governor.

We'd be surprised if there aren't more strong candidates stepping forward to contend for their party's nomination for governor. It's the first time since 1994 that the seat has been open.